This blog used to be the reactions of a reader of the conservative Catholic journal First Things to the many fine articles to be found therein. Now it's just another minor blog of staircase wit, from just another minor blogger who doesn't realize that blogging is dead. About the only notable thing about me is that I am a Christian conservative who loathes creationism in all its forms. Enjoy your visit.

Wednesday, June 01, 2011

Meanwhile, communist China is still unfree

Repressing a church is something any old dictatorship can do, the church being a rival center of authority and all. But it takes the boundlessly coercive impulse of communism to usurp the church from within:

Father Joseph Shen Guo’an is set to be ordained a bishop soon in Wuhan (Hankou) diocese, central Hubei province, despite there being no papal mandate for the move, ucanews.com has learned.

Church observers warned the authorities should not force an illicit ordination saying that it benefits nobody.

The ordination of Father Shen, 50, is tentatively set for June 9, according to Church sources. They said some diocesan priests who tried to keep up the Church principle are now suffering, as government officials have lobbied their support for the ordination.

Some bishops in neighboring provinces are also “under great pressure,” as officials asked them to ordain Father Shen, the sources continued.

Local Catholics say Father Shen is not a suitable candidate and does not have papal mandate. They say that it is not his will to become a bishop.

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My particulars

Welcome to my little share of the blogosphere. I am a reviewer at Amazon, a participant in the usenet forum alt.quotations, and a frequent commenter, at first mostly on the right-wing side of the blogosphere, but now anywhere spirited debate is allowed. My seemingly self-congratulatory nic is actually an homage to Alan Coren's book of the same name, which I recommend to fans of English wit. Enjoy your visit. Email me at synapsid circle-A hotmail.com